Residents along the Rumuruti-Mutara corridor in Laikipia County have for decades watched economic opportunities pass them by as poor roads isolated communities, slowed business and made access to essential services difficult.
Today, however, the long wait for the first tarmac road linking Rumuruti and Mutara is finally becoming a reality after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) awarded the KSh 2.47 billion contract, with contractor mobilisation already underway ahead of construction works.
Twenty-nine-year-old Patrick Emuron, a resident of Mutara, says the road represents more than infrastructure; it is the fulfilment of a promise communities have heard since childhood.
“As a young person born and raised here in Mutara, we have grown up hearing that this road would be built. All that time we kept waiting, but nothing ever happened. Right now, we are hearing that it is finally coming, and we are hopeful it will happen,” says Emuron.
He recalls how families, including his own, living near Sokomoko Bridge were asked to relocate in anticipation of the road expansion years ago, only for the project to stall.
“That was back in August 2002. We moved believing the road would come, but for all those years we never saw even a single stretch of tarmac in this area,” he says.
Beyond the unfulfilled promises, Emuron says farmers and traders depending on the 25-kilometre Rumuruti-Mutara Road have endured huge losses due to poor connectivity.
“During rainy seasons, vehicles transporting produce often get stuck for hours or even days, leaving perishable goods to rot before reaching markets,” he explains.
He adds that public transport becomes unreliable, access to hospitals and schools remains difficult, and investors have for years avoided the region because of inadequate infrastructure.
According to KeNHA Director General, Luka Kimeli, the project marks a major milestone for the region’s economic transformation.
“The Rumuruti–Mutara Road project is therefore a timely and transformative investment for the people of Laikipia County and the wider region. Following the award of the contract by KeNHA at the end of April, the contractor has already commenced mobilisation activities, including site preparations, logistical arrangements, and deployment planning. We expect actual construction works to begin within the next three months,” said Kimeli.
The development tour of the region by President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has been welcomed by residents, many describing the project as a major economic turning point for the wider Laikipia region.
“This Rumuruti-Nanyuki road is the only road we have. Our lives depend on this one road. Investors have avoided our area because the road is bad. We are sure that once it is completed, investors will come, young people will get jobs, businesses will grow, and people will improve their lives. This road means a lot to us,” says Emuron.
Residents believe the road will unlock trade, strengthen agriculture, improve movement and open up the region to investment opportunities that have remained out of reach for decades.
Locals say the project also reflects the government’s #MaendeleoBilaMapendeleo agenda, which seeks to ensure development reaches all regions regardless of political affiliation.
“Every Kenyan deserves development regardless of which political party they support, where they come from or their tribe. Even people from Mutara deserve tarmac roads just like people in Nairobi,” says Emuron.
He adds that residents are increasingly focusing on leaders who deliver tangible development.
“Development comes first. When roads and projects come, then we can talk about other politics. Anyone who has not delivered development to the people will have a difficult time during elections,” he says.
Once completed within the planned 36-month timeline, the Rumuruti-Mutara Road is expected to transform mobility, stimulate trade, create jobs and position the wider Laikipia region as a stronger economic hub.
